Solo Tree Work

[SeanKroll]

Gotta love it!

Same more or less as @SeanKroll afaik.

Hit us with some pics, you must have a bunch or em, its been awhile

Living/ working mainly in the country, outside of town, with almost all underground utilities, outside of production logging country sure helps. More no- cleanup jobs than the average tree company, especially when I can fell things back into the woods from the edge into the woods, helps!

People grew up with fathers working in the woods, heating with wood, etc., and being able to burn brush, some people having tractors and occasionallt pto chippers or being willing & wanting to scrounge firewood helps.

Recently, I had a hard working retired couple come for any firewood from 3" + limb wood, to 3' trunk wood from their friends'/ neighbors' job. I chipped the 3-4"(-) and took the millable logs. They were very happy to take several loads of limbs in their compact pickup. They have a small chipper and do the same at home. More desire than need.

Some people can't wait to get out their saws.


No safety meetings, no communicating plans, no scheduling employees taking days off/ vacation when I feel like it, work late, quit early, whatever.
The machines never care.

Would be different without a mini/ machine-feedable chipper, and self- lowering skills.

 

[cory]

Speaking of self lowering, in the opening of AH's vid linked below, a simple, effective, and therefore ingenious method for in-tree friction. I hadn't seen it before and it looks sweet.

 

[Burnham]

Might be a bit tricky to manage solo, both cutting and handling the line...but probably doable in many cases. Nice.

 

[cory]

True.

Plus you could set up the same thing near base for ground man

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Self lowering at 2:40. Used a block as it was heavy. Self retrievable. Usually I use loop runners with biners.

 

[Ed L]

Usually alone when felling trees in the woods, not ideal, just the way it is.
Used to have a retired farmer that would drive the gravel roads slowly all day, look at crops and get away from the wife.
He would see me in the woods (orange hardhat), stop and watch until I saw him and waved. Hour later, back again.
Said he was just keeping an eye on me, make sure I was ok.

Was greatly appreciated.

Ed

 

[Tarzan]

Do you have any more pics of your mini boom/winch thing?

I don't of this one. I had a lighter duty thing that I pieced together that I bent, so I went heavier. All it is is receiver tube (male and female) that you can piece together to get the length you want. No winch, just a shackle hanging off the end, with the rope lashed to the bollard on the boom. Comes in pretty handy sometimes...especially when I have to run my chipper in the shop, that wont fit unless I lift the discharge chute off of it.

 

[flushcut]

I don't of this one. I had a lighter duty thing that I pieced together that I bent, so I went heavier. All it is is receiver tube (male and female) that you can piece together to get the length you want. No winch, just a shackle hanging off the end, with the rope lashed to the bollard on the boom. Comes in pretty handy sometimes...especially when I have to run my chipper in the shop, that wont fit unless I lift the discharge chute off of it.

Thank you. There is a welding thread we have going so if you frankencobble something post it up.

 

[biggun]

Speaking of self lowering, in the opening of AH's vid linked below, a simple, effective, and therefore ingenious method for in-tree friction. I hadn't seen it before and it looks sweet.

It is strange that things like that are acceptable these days. Yet when I was training that kind of thing would be a ‘No No’ due to the tight bend radius.

Yet August’s gopher says it is really good for that application because of the tight bend radius’s.

 

[Burnham]

Excellent point, Rich. Though it's a rule of thumb that has been far from strictly followed for as long as I can remember.

 

[cory]

I hear ya on the tight bend radius but on those size pieces I gotta believe it is zero issue.

 

[biggun]

Cory, I agree to point.

As a general rule, I don’t rig from crabs due unless it is a one off cut.

The problem lies when a lot of stuff works but isn’t in the training literature. Someone new to the industry see’s AH and his Gopher doing it and because they are popular on YouTube it must be the right thing I do.

So someone might go too big and then that’s when the trouble occurs.

IIRC, Reg and AH has a little bit of a heated debate about this kind of thing years ago.

AH one handing every cut and blasting it all over YouTube. Once people start looking up to you then surely it is your responsibility to pass on good technique to the news faces in our industry?

N.B. I one hand all the time, it is how I was taught. It is also probably the reason why over the years I have had countless periods of tennis elbow and wrist problems.

I just don’t splatter it all over YouTube or if I am doing it in front of someone far less experienced, I try to explain the reasons behind my decision.

 

[cory]

Understood.

I was mainly noting it as a technique I hadn't seen before and some here at the House might be interested in

 

[SeanKroll]

The bend radius is more important with higher loads.

It wouldn't be video worthy to natty crotch and trunk wrap.

Pitch can be avoided when using hardware. If it's a double- braid, there would be less cover/ core imbalance.

I'm a KISS climber

Cory, I agree to point.

As a general rule, I don’t rig from crabs due unless it is a one off cut.

The problem lies when a lot of stuff works but isn’t in the training literature. Someone new to the industry see’s AH and his Gopher doing it and because they are popular on YouTube it must be the right thing I do.

So someone might go too big and then that’s when the trouble occurs.

IIRC, Reg and AH has a little bit of a heated debate about this kind of thing years ago.

AH one handing every cut and blasting it all over YouTube. Once people start looking up to you then surely it is your responsibility to pass on good technique to the news faces in our industry?

N.B. I one hand all the time, it is how I was taught. It is also probably the reason why over the years I have had countless periods of tennis elbow and wrist problems.

I just don’t splatter it all over YouTube or if I am doing it in front of someone far less experienced, I try to explain the reasons behind my decision.

What saws are you one- handing?

The little echo's with 1/4" chain really improved things for me.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I one-hand very often too, ms150T and ms 201T. I can relate to the tendinis too ( and though). If I want a precision cut, it's two hands, at least at the cut's beginning. But each time I have to control a light enough limb, it's one hand and I hold the limb with the other hand. Some climbers say they put a sling on everything, just to cut two-handed all the time. But it isn't realistic, that takes so much more time and movements. And I say that mind free because I do most of my rigging in self retention with just a bunch of slings (limbs and tops). So I know well the time involved in the process. All I can do one-handed is welcomed. It extends to the bucking of the limbs and trunk a loft, finishing the straight through cut one handed, while controlling/holding the firewood log with the other hand. Ms 462 and ms 660 too, as needed.

 

[friedrich]

i enjoyed watching augusts old videos and learned alot from them. i guess his newer content is more like tv for some people?

 

[biggun]

Sean, I mentioned Tennis Elbow. I used to one hand the 200t all the time. I bought the 150t when it was launched years ago. I now have a couple of them along with a couple of 200t’s and a 194t.

It greatly improved on the lighter weight saws.

 

[cory]

Just gotta love the Stihl small saws. 200 and 201 FTW

 

[greengreer]

Sean, I mentioned Tennis Elbow. I used to one hand the 200t all the time. I bought the 150t when it was launched years ago. I now have a couple of them along with a couple of 200t’s and a 194t.

It greatly improved on the lighter weight saws.

I get some tennis elbow from time to time as well. The battery saw has helped more than anything, I think pull starter was the biggest culprit.

 

[Bermy]

Im went through a really bad patch with tennis and golfers elbow years ago. I had some excellent physio and dry needling (acupuncture) that sorted it out and never had a problem since.

 

[Knotorious]

Some thoughts and footage of working alone. Its 25 mins, or thereabouts. Think there's a few members here in the same boat.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZP9lVuNb_7M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

RegC, I just wanted to say that I seriously respect your Big Shot rope whipping ingenuity at the 16m20s mark in your video. Well played! =-D

 

[Altissimus]

When working alone , best to double the margins of safety

 

[SeanKroll]

RegC, I just wanted to say that I seriously respect your Big Shot rope whipping ingenuity at the 16m20s mark in your video. Well played! =-D

That rope whip is a crucial trick. It can whip to the left or right, as well.
Really useful for conifer limbs as a TIP!

 

[Burnham]

Truth. You usually cannot work a climb line into safest position on a normal horizontal-ish conifer branch at the heights we have to out here, without that technique in your bag of tricks.

 

[WoodCutr]

That rope whip is a crucial trick. It can whip to the left or right, as well.
Really useful for conifer limbs as a TIP!

I never have thought to use this trick on conifers, I can see working a rope down a 30ft long loblolly or slash pine limb
Thanks Sean, I only use this trick to get past twigs and nubbins but have never thought to do much more with it